Institute for Global Affairs Inc

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
811614189
IRS 990 coverage
2018–2024
Forms available
Form 990 2024
Location
New York, NY, USA
Phone
2027653177
Rating
70
Verdict
SUPPORTED
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Promotion of International Understanding

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$1,161,293
Expenses
$1,177,256
Assets
$679,725
Liabilities
$68,687

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

12 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • IAN BREMMER (Board President)

Highest reported compensation

  • Mark Hannah (Exec. Director 9/24 to 12/24): $329,246 total reported compensation
  • Allyn Summa (Exec. Director 1/24 to 9/24): $194,447 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

See schedule o.

What it reported doing in 2024

IGA connects people across the world to the geopolitical issues that impact their lives through research, outreach, and education. In 2024 IGA worked on four main projects: 1. Research. IGA conducts high-quality, objective research which both increases the public's understanding of international politics and informs policy makers. Independent America is a multi-year research project that explores how US foreign policy could be tailored better to new global realities and to the preferences of American voters and perceptions of citizens across the globe of American-style democracy. In 2024 we released two substantial surveys which were received with a lot of interest and have been widely cited in media. 2. Outreach. IGA works to increase public interest in and awareness of global affairs. We amplify diverse perspectives and the voices of thinkers traditionally underrepresented in international affairs to nurture a more inclusive and open community of foreign policy experts in the United States and around the globe. Through extensive media engagement, engaging videos, publications, articles, editorials, social media engagement, and our very own podcast, organization is making relevant issues accessible and understandable. 3. Education. IGA creates opportunities for people, particularly underserved youth, to access quality, easy-to-use learning materials and curricula on global affairs for use in the classroom and on the go. In the past year we developed and launched series of free micro-lessons that can be easily accessed and consumed to help users quickly get up to speed on the foreign policy and national security issues. 4. IGA is continuing its efforts to explore the impact of the digital revolution (and AI in particular) on our civic life and the ways we live, work, and communicate. This analysis and exploration are seeking to understand both incredible potential of technologies to help billions of people live happier, healthier, and more productive lives and also the newly created challenges for citizens and governments around the world.

Operating model

Revenue model
Donor-supported. 98% of the money available for current operations came from contributions and gifts.
Distribution model
Direct operator. The filing allocates 100% of reported program-service expenses outside its grant, affiliate-payment, and member-benefit lines. This expense classification does not rule out separately announced grant awards.

The verdict

SUPPORTED - The filed numbers largely add up and the organization raises money at a relatively low cost. A relatively small share of available resources goes toward mission work and a relatively small share of total spending goes to programs.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 63
  • Transparency & Controls: 84
  • Accountability: 73
  • Sustainability: 28
  • Growth: 80

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 59%; rating input score 59
  • Program expense ratio: 57.3%; rating input score 57
  • Fundraising efficiency: $10,241.66 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 100; 100th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
    • Compensation committee: Missing
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Pass
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: Limited
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 90%; rating input score 90; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 4 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 50
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Fail
    • Document-retention policy: Fail
    • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
    • Other executive compensation review process: Missing
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: -1.4%; rating input score 32; 32nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.58; rating input score 27; 27th percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.1; rating input score 42; 42nd percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 44.5%; rating input score 3; 3rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 6.4% per year; rating input score 100; 49th percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 18.8% per year; rating input score 100; 84th percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: -5.9% per year; rating input score 0; 6th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • Where the money goes: 59% of revenue deployed · 57.3% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 9 of 10 board members independent · 4 of 8 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 1 filed program accomplishment · $674K in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $329K · 12 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Consistency: 28 of 28 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 6 filed schedules · includes major donors and executive pay
  • Filing history: 7 filing years from 2018 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 2 filed money-flow records
  • Related organizations: 1 filed related-organization link
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Mission deployment rate scored 59/100.
  • Review — Financial Efficiency: Program expense ratio scored 57/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: 3 of 7 not reported.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 32/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Total-asset coverage ratio scored 27/100.
  • High — Growth: Asset growth scored 0/100.
  • High — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 3/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Liabilities to assets ratio scored 42/100.